Global Projects

“A hand up not a hand out” in action

A Hand Up Not A Hand Out:

Engaging The Private Sector as a Force For Good

Linda Cruse’s Be The Change facilitates long term economic empowerment through small-scale grants to vulnerable families in developing countries worldwide.
Our work focuses on challenged communities and communities in crisis, some of which have been hit by natural disasters.

Using our model of extensive grass root communication, local understanding and long term market analysis we provide things to families and co-operatives that will give them economic empowerment, a stable income, such as fishing boats, mobile shops and sewing machines.
We invite the private sector to join in and help. We provide economically challenged communities the skills, acumen and mentorship of national and international business leaders to create long term sustainable change not just for a week or a month but for many years to come.

Watch Be The Change in action on the frontline post Typhoon Yolanda and Typhoon Hagupit, Philippines, 2014:

Reporting live from the frontline

Hear Linda share the innovative “hand up not a hand out” model as she is applying in post Typhoon Hagupit.

Linda Cruse’s Be The Change believes that economic empowerment and a psychological boost must go hand in hand.

Psychological Recovery

We work in complicated and challenging situations that need healing. We understand that we need to work with the emotional as well as the physical. We bring psychological recovery into broken communities through sport, art, drama, music and magic.

Livelihood Recovery

We bring back self esteem and dignity through our hand up not a hand out model. We involve the business community to establish sustainable livelihood diversification by identifying new markets that match the skill levels and priorities of the community, building on community members’ activities, needs and priorities.

We’re a charity that thinks big but starts small. We prepare by wearing the moccasins of the community. By listening. We focus on economic empowerment, restoring self-esteem, dignity and independence into communities. Using a business led approach the results are tangible and sustainable.

We go in to communities and talk to people. We seek out the most respected and trusted locals. They help us prioritize aid identifying the most vulnerable and needy families and we get to work helping the families in crisis to re-build their lives on a firmer footing.

We involve the business community in our research to establish sustainable livelihood diversification and, when needed, to assist in career transitioning. We use these business people’s expertise to identify new markets that match the skill levels and priorities of the community, building on community members’ activities, needs and priorities.
We help recovering and challenged communities with one-to-one business mentorship, internship and skills development.

The emergency relief phase begins in the immediate aftermath of a disastrous event. This phase focuses on basic needs for survival; food, water, shelter, and medicines.
In early recovery, the affected population is in a more stable period of transition. They have a place to get food and water and a temporary or transitional shelter that can withstand wind and rain. They can go about their daily lives, beginning to resume some kind of normal existence. Children go back to school—though their classes may be held in a church, a tent, or some other temporary accommodation. From emergency phase to early recovery phase lasts about 3 months. It at this 3 month stage that many relief agencies leave.
For middle to long term recovery, Linda Cruse’s Be The Change is still there, bringing economic vibrancy and a ‘hand up’ to them.

Psychological Recovery:

We work in complicated and challenging situations that need healing. We understand that we need to work with the emotional as well as the physical. We bring psychological recovery into broken communities through sport, art, drama, music and magic.

We make it personal, making a tangible difference. Through the magic of the media we tell the story of each family as they move towards a brighter future.

We don’t simply return families to the lives they had before but aim to raise the quality of life.
Linda Cruse’s Be The Change is successful when it makes itself redundant. With the support of local business leaders, the community is empowered to lead and develop itself. We are on hand for support and advice. We return to evaluate each project twice in the first year, then annually for up to five years.

None of this is possible without you, the donor

Linda Cruse on Philanthropy Without Frontiers as featured in B Beyond Magazine

Linda Cruse has managed to accomplish something many of us dream of, but few achieve.

She has fused a passion for adventure, an explorer’s spirit and a deep desire to make a difference to the lives of the remote communities she has come into contact with, to launch a unique concept, aptly named Be the Change.

Be the Change takes very small groups of exceptionally successful individuals– typically, people who have built large businesses, world leaders, global influencers – to some of the remotest parts of the world where communities struggle to either overcome natural or man-made disasters or to make the most of their existing resources.